An unseasonal sandstorm hit the Middle East Monday night, covering the region's cities with a thick layer of dust we haven't seen since last winter.
Hundreds of residents in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq have been sent to the hospital over breathing difficulties.
In Lebanon alone, two people are dead and some 750 more have been admitted to the hospital after choking on the dust, according to the country's health ministry. The trouble began Monday in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley and swaths of terrain across the border in Syria. By Tuesday, it had rolled over the capital Beirut, where authorities urged people to avoid burning the trash piles still lining the streets. Then scenes emerged from Jordan's capital Amman and Jerusalem.
The storm's yellow skies and eerie silence made for plenty of footage. Have a look at the region's shots below. Photos via AFP.
In Syria:
Iraq:
Lebanon:
Jordan:
And Jerusalem:
